New Zealand's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.6 percent in the June 2026 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today.
In the June 2026 quarter:
- the unemployment rate was 5.6 percent
- the underutilisation rate was 13.8 percent
- the quarterly increase in the number of people employed was 0.5 percent
- annual wage inflation was 2.0 percent, as measured by the labour cost index
- average ordinary time hourly earnings were $44.62, as measured by the Quarterly Employment Survey.
"The unemployment rate was 5.6 percent in the June 2026 quarter, compared with 5.4 percent in the March 2026 quarter," labour market spokesperson Abby Johnston said.
| Quarter | Men | Women | Total |
| Jun-12 | 6.2 | 6.7 | 6.4 |
| Sept-12 | 6.6 | 6.9 | 6.7 |
| Dec-12 | 6 | 6.7 | 6.3 |
| Mar-13 | 5.2 | 6.5 | 5.8 |
| Jun-13 | 5.5 | 6.5 | 6 |
| Sept-13 | 5.5 | 6.2 | 5.8 |
| Dec-13 | 5 | 6.4 | 5.7 |
| Mar-14 | 5.1 | 6.1 | 5.6 |
| Jun-14 | 4.6 | 6 | 5.3 |
| Sept-14 | 4.6 | 6.1 | 5.3 |
| Dec-14 | 4.8 | 6.3 | 5.5 |
| Mar-15 | 5.2 | 5.9 | 5.5 |
| Jun-15 | 4.8 | 6.3 | 5.5 |
| Sept-15 | 5.2 | 6.1 | 5.7 |
| Dec-15 | 4.7 | 5.3 | 5 |
| Mar-16 | 5 | 5.6 | 5.3 |
| Jun-16 | 4.7 | 5.5 | 5.1 |
| Sept-16 | 4.7 | 5.3 | 5 |
| Dec-16 | 4.8 | 5.8 | 5.3 |
| Mar-17 | 4.3 | 5.6 | 4.9 |
| Jun-17 | 4.8 | 5 | 4.9 |
| Sept-17 | 4.1 | 5.4 | 4.7 |
| Dec-17 | 4 | 5 | 4.5 |
| Mar-18 | 3.9 | 4.8 | 4.4 |
| Jun-18 | 4.4 | 4.9 | 4.6 |
| Sept-18 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Dec-18 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.3 |
| Mar-19 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 4.2 |
| Jun-19 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 4.1 |
| Sept-19 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 4.1 |
| Dec-19 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 4.1 |
| Mar-20 | 4 | 4.4 | 4.2 |
| Jun-20 | 3.6 | 4.6 | 4.1 |
| Sept-20 | 4.8 | 5.6 | 5.2 |
| Dec-20 | 4.5 | 5.4 | 4.9 |
| Mar-21 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.6 |
| Jun-21 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 4 |
| Sept-21 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.3 |
| Dec-21 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.2 |
| Mar-22 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 3.3 |
| Jun-22 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 3.3 |
| Sept-22 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 3.3 |
| Dec-22 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 3.4 |
| Mar-23 | 3.3 | 3.7 | 3.5 |
| Jun-23 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 3.7 |
| Sept-23 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 3.9 |
| Dec-23 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 4 |
| Mar-24 | 4.1 | 4.8 | 4.4 |
| Jun-24 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.7 |
| Sept-24 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 4.9 |
| Dec-24 | 5 | 5.3 | 5.1 |
| Mar-25 | 4.9 | 5.4 | 5.2 |
| Jun-25 | 5 | 5.5 | 5.2 |
| Sept-25 | 5.2 | 5.4 | 5.3 |
| Dec-25 | 5.3 | 5.5 | 5.4 |
| Mar-26 | 5.4 | 5.3 | 5.4 |
| Jun-26 | 5.7 | 5.5 | 5.6 |
Of the 166,500 people who were unemployed in the June 2026 quarter (not seasonally adjusted), 19.0 percent had been unemployed for more than a year. Being unemployed for over a year is one measure of long-term unemployment.
"Around 8,000 more people were experiencing long-term unemployment in the June 2026 quarter than in the same quarter in 2025," Johnston said.
| Duration of unemployment | June 2025 quarter |
| 1-4 weeks | 25000 |
| 5-8 weeks | 16000 |
| 9-13 weeks | 14000 |
| 3-6 months | 37000 |
| Over 6 months-1 year | 33000 |
| Over 1 year | 24000 |
| Unemployment duration | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1–4 weeks | 20000 | 29000 |
| 5–8 weeks | 13000 | 19000 |
| 9–13 weeks | 10000 | 17000 |
| 3–6 months | 32000 | 42000 |
| Over 6 months–1 year | 29000 | 38000 |
| Over 1 year | 19000 | 28000 |
| Duration of unemployment | June 2026 quarter |
| 1-4 weeks | 22000 |
| 5-8 weeks | 18000 |
| 9-13 weeks | 13000 |
| 3-6 months | 38000 |
| Over 6 months-1 year | 38000 |
| Over 1 year | 32000 |
| Unemployment duration | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1–4 weeks | 18000 | 27000 |
| 5–8 weeks | 15000 | 22000 |
| 9–13 weeks | 10000 | 16000 |
| 3–6 months | 33000 | 43000 |
| Over 6 months–1 year | 33000 | 43000 |
| Over 1 year | 26000 | 37000 |
Rise in underutilisation
"The seasonally adjusted underutilisation rate was 13.8 percent in the June 2026 quarter, up from 12.9 percent in the March 2026 quarter," Johnston said.
Underutilisation is a broader measure of untapped labour market capacity than unemployment. It includes unemployed people, the potential labour force, and people who are underemployed.
| Quarter | Men | Women | Total |
| Jun-12 | 11.9 | 17.8 | 14.7 |
| Sept-12 | 13.5 | 17.7 | 15.6 |
| Dec-12 | 12.4 | 17.3 | 14.7 |
| Mar-13 | 10.4 | 15.9 | 13 |
| Jun-13 | 10.6 | 16.2 | 13.3 |
| Sept-13 | 11.1 | 17.3 | 14.1 |
| Dec-13 | 11.1 | 17.1 | 14 |
| Mar-14 | 10.9 | 15.8 | 13.2 |
| Jun-14 | 10.5 | 16.4 | 13.3 |
| Sept-14 | 10.2 | 15.6 | 12.8 |
| Dec-14 | 10.5 | 16.4 | 13.3 |
| Mar-15 | 10.8 | 16.6 | 13.6 |
| Jun-15 | 10.6 | 16.9 | 13.6 |
| Sept-15 | 11.2 | 16.5 | 13.7 |
| Dec-15 | 10.1 | 15 | 12.5 |
| Mar-16 | 11.2 | 16.3 | 13.7 |
| Jun-16 | 10.5 | 15.9 | 13.1 |
| Sept-16 | 10 | 15.6 | 12.7 |
| Dec-16 | 9.7 | 15.4 | 12.4 |
| Mar-17 | 9.3 | 15.5 | 12.3 |
| Jun-17 | 9.5 | 14.7 | 12 |
| Sept-17 | 9.3 | 15.2 | 12.1 |
| Dec-17 | 9.4 | 15.3 | 12.2 |
| Mar-18 | 9.5 | 14.6 | 11.9 |
| Jun-18 | 9.9 | 14.5 | 12.1 |
| Sept-18 | 9.3 | 13.6 | 11.3 |
| Dec-18 | 10 | 14.6 | 12.2 |
| Mar-19 | 9 | 13.9 | 11.3 |
| Jun-19 | 9.2 | 13.2 | 11.1 |
| Sept-19 | 8.4 | 12.5 | 10.3 |
| Dec-19 | 8.4 | 12 | 10.1 |
| Mar-20 | 8.3 | 12.8 | 10.4 |
| Jun-20 | 9.4 | 15 | 12.1 |
| Sept-20 | 10.6 | 15.9 | 13.1 |
| Dec-20 | 9.7 | 14.4 | 11.9 |
| Mar-21 | 9.9 | 14.6 | 12.2 |
| Jun-21 | 8.3 | 13 | 10.5 |
| Sept-21 | 7.7 | 10.8 | 9.2 |
| Dec-21 | 7.4 | 11.2 | 9.3 |
| Mar-22 | 7.8 | 11.2 | 9.4 |
| Jun-22 | 7.5 | 11.2 | 9.3 |
| Sept-22 | 7.3 | 10.9 | 9 |
| Dec-22 | 7.6 | 11.5 | 9.4 |
| Mar-23 | 7.5 | 10.9 | 9.1 |
| Jun-23 | 8.2 | 11.9 | 10 |
| Sept-23 | 8.7 | 12.4 | 10.5 |
| Dec-23 | 8.7 | 13.1 | 10.8 |
| Mar-24 | 9.4 | 13.4 | 11.3 |
| Jun-24 | 10 | 13.8 | 11.9 |
| Sept-24 | 10.3 | 13.2 | 11.7 |
| Dec-24 | 10.7 | 13.9 | 12.2 |
| Mar-25 | 10.5 | 14.5 | 12.4 |
| Jun-25 | 11 | 14.7 | 12.8 |
| Sept-25 | 11.2 | 14.9 | 12.9 |
| Dec-25 | 11.1 | 14.9 | 12.9 |
| Mar-26 | 11.6 | 14.4 | 12.9 |
| Jun-26 | 12.4 | 15.3 | 13.8 |
There were 440,000 underutilised people in the June 2026 quarter, up from 408,000 in the March 2026 quarter. The rise in underutilisation included an estimated:
- 8,000 unemployed people (bringing the total to 171,000)
- 9,000 underemployed people (bringing the total to 154,000)
- 14,000 people in the potential labour force (bringing the total to 115,000).
Large increases in underutilisation for youth and Māori
The following data has not been seasonally adjusted.
By age group, youth experienced the largest increase in underutilisation in the year to the June 2026 quarter.
The underutilisation rate for 15 to 24-year-olds rose from 33.6 percent to 37.0 percent over the year. The number of underutilised people in this age group increased by 21,500 annually, with the largest increase in underutilisation coming from unemployment (up 12,200 over the year).
The underutilisation rate for 25 to 34-year-olds also increased, rising from 9.7 percent to 11.6 percent. The number of underutilised people in this age group increased by 11,900 over the year. For 25 to 34-year-olds, the main contributor to rising underutilisation came from underemployment, up 6,600 annually.
In the June 2026 quarter, 25.8 percent of underutilised people were Māori. The Māori underutilisation rate was 22.8 percent, up 3.2 percentage points over the year.
Definitions
Unemployed: Those without a paid job who are available to start work and have been actively seeking employment in the last four weeks, or who are due to start work in the next four weeks.
Potential labour force: Available potential jobseekers (people who would like a job and are available to start work but are not actively seeking work) and unavailable jobseekers (people actively seeking work who are not currently available but will be available for work in the next four weeks).
Underemployed: Those employed part-time (working less than 30 hours a week) who want to work more hours and are available to do so.
